Why Didn't You finish the Book?

Why didn't you finish the book? In the past, I have felt guilty if I didn't finish all the books I started - maybe you've felt that way too. I thought I owed it to the book to finish it because the ending might make a so-so book really good. The thing is, I think what we really should be asking is:

Why DID you finish a book (that you didn't like)?
-It was assigned reading for class.
-It is part of your job description (most likely in academia).
-You want to speak intelligently about why you don't like a book (and in order to do that, you have to read the whole book).
*Note: If you have another reason - post it in the comments!

Those are really the only legitimate reasons I can think of to finish a book you don't like reading. Well, since I'm no longer in school and my job doesn't require the reading of novels (unfortunately), the first two reasons don't apply to me. Though I appreciate the intention behind the third reason, I don't know if you actually have to finish the book to talk intelligently about why you didn't like. I also don't know why one couldn't just say 'I didn't like it' and leave it at that.

The thing is, since I'm not reading for school or work, I'm reading in my free-time for FUN. If I'm not enjoying the book, then it's not all that fun. I don't owe it to anyone (or the book) to finish it if I don't feel like it. Just because a whole bunch of other people might like the book, it doesn't mean I (or you) have to. But what if the book turns around and has a good ending?! Well - is it worth it to drudge through a couple HUNDRED pages to get a couple of pages of a good ending? Maybe it is to you - but not to me.

At the same time, I do think that it's good to give a book a fair try. Of course, what is 'fair?' Well, I've decided to come up with a little system to help me - because I'm weird and I want to feel like I'm treating all the books I read fairly. I have a system that goes by how long the book is:

Step 1: Give the book a chance
I highly suggest reading a certain portion of each book you decide to start - your first impression may change (for better or for worse). If there's something about the book you just don't like about it, then stop reading the book however far into it you are. This system is for books that you find kinda boring, or meh, or think 'maybe it'll get better' - but nothing is really gripping you yet. If the book is:

100 pages or less - Just finish it since it's so short.

100-400 pages - Read the first quarter of the book.

400-600 pages - Read the first 100 pages.

600 pages or more - Read the first 200 pages.

Step 2: Decide if the book has potential
If you really don't like the book at this point, then stop reading it. If you still are unsure about the book but think it has potential, then continue reading up to half of the book.

Step 3: Decide if you will finish the book
If at any point from the page amount in Step 1 up to half the book you decide you really don't like it, then stop reading the book. If you decide you like the book (or that it has a high enough potential), then continue reading the book. Note: If I read beyond the halfway point, I'll finish the book.

There you have it! The system is pretty simple.

One more thing: Don't ever feel like you have to reread a book that you never finished or that left a really bad impression on you. (For me, it's The Great Gatsby from high school and, more recently, Atlas Shrugged.) BUT just because you don't like a book today, doesn't mean you won't like the book tomorrow (or sometime further in the future). There have been plenty of books I was assigned in high school that I didn't really like, but I've reread them recently and discovered I greatly enjoyed them! You might not like a book because you're in the wrong mood, you're at the wrong point of your life, or something is just going over your head. Don't be afraid to give a book you didn't like a second chance!

Books I started but didn't finish:
-20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
-The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
-Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

-"Pauline's Passion and Punishment" by Louisa May Alcott
-Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome

-The Brave African Huntress by Amos Tutuola

-The Idylls of the King by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Books I finished but wish I hadn't wasted my time:
-Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
-The Bostonians by Henry James
-The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
-The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
-Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte